Issun
Issun is the traveling companion of Amaterasu and Chibiterasu. He is a traveling artist who originates from Ponc'tan. Story Background Issun was born in Ponc'tan, village of the Poncles, in Kamui. Issun originally was training to be the next Celestial Envoy from his grandfather, the previous Celestial Envoy and Amaterasu's companion during her first battle with Orochi 100 years ago. However, Issun grew tired of how Ishaku never recognized his skill and eventually stole a drawing Ishaku once drew of Kamiki Village's guardian tree sprite, Sakuya (which he would claim was his own work afterwards), ran away from Ponc'tan, and ended up in Nippon. Soon after, he eventually reached Kamiki Village and interacted with the residents for some time. He also met the real Sakuya and developed a habit of sleeping in 'the valley of her chest'. It is unknown exactly how old Issun is, his proportions are similar to a human child's but this appears to be a trait shared by all adult Poncles, and so does not nessecarily suggest that he is young. His manner of speaking and his frequently describing himself as a 'man', discussions of enjoying alcohol, and behaviour as a whole suggest very strongly that he has been an adult for some time. He also consistantly regards human children and teenagers as significantly younger than he is, but speaks to Susano in a manner that suggests Susano is comparatively older than Issun. This would indicate that Issun's age is most likely the equivalent of a human adult in their 20s or 30s in terms of maturity, but since Poncles live for hundreds of years it is difficult to be sure of his precise age. Speculation typically suggests that Issun is roughly 50 years old. Ōkami The Adventure Begins During Orochi's release, he was taking another secret nap and was present when Sakuya used to the remains of her power to give life to Amaterasu again, in order to lift the curse over Nippon. While Sakuya was briefing Amaterasu on the current state of events, Issun woke up and popped out of her robes. Although he did not intend to accompany Amaterasu (who tried to eat him when he jumped onto her snout), he ended up going with her through the portal to the River of the Heavens. As they went through the area, he told Amaterasu of the 13 Celestial Brush gods and the Celestial Brush Techniques they held. He revealed that he had mastered one Brush Technique, Rejuvenation, but had yet to learn the others. He also gave Amaterasu the nickname "Ammy", as he claimed her name was too long. When the two actually reached the River of the Heavens, they found the river had dried up, blocking their way forward. However, after exploring some more, the two encountered a strange constellation that was missing a couple of stars. Issun tried to draw the star, but to no avail. Unknown to him, however, Amaterasu used her own Celestial Brush to complete the constellation, awakening the spirit of the celestial brush God Yomigami, who granted her the brush technique Rejuvenation to restore the river. Amaterasu managed to restore the river, but Issun remained ignorant to the extent of her powers. They entered another portal which led them to the Cave of Nagi. They awakened another brush god, Tachigami, who granted Amaterasu the Brush Technique Power Slash. Issun realized that Amaterasu had been the one using her brush all this time, and decided that he would accompany her in order to learn the 13 Brush Techniques from her by observing them as she collected them from their respective gods. The two traveled through Nippon, dispatching the evil curse as they went. During their adventure, they encountered a mysterious man and self-proclaimed prophet named Waka, who would occasionally appear to give them cryptic prophetic hints to help them in their journey. They eventually slew the demon responsible for the curse, Orochi, with the help of Susano. However, the adventure was not over: four other evil demons had been born from Orochi's corpse, and gone on to curse more regions of Nippon. Amaterasu had also not mastered all the Celestial Brush Techniques: she had only 9 out of 13. Amaterasu and Issun thus set out to Ryoshima Coast in order to fight the curse there. In Search of Oni Island When they arrived, the region was in chaos. After lifting the curse over the region, the pair discovered that the guardian deity of Ryoshima Coast, the Water Dragon, had become wild and was running amok, causing havoc. All supply ships to Nippon's capital, Sei'an City, had been sunken and one, the Sunken Ship, had been sunken particularly close to the harbor. Going into the city, Amaterasu and Issun found it covered in a bizarre fog. The fog did not affect the pair, but it had brought a strange sickness to all the people in the city. They had another encounter with Waka, who gave them another strange hint, although this time it was not a prophecy. The queen of the city, Queen Himiko, had been holed up in her castle and refused to help the people, so they looked for the head priestess of the nearby Ankoku Temple, Rao. Amaterasu and Issun met the buxom and charming priestess at her lecture hall and Issun was instantly enchanted by her stunning good looks. Determined to help her, they retrieved her holy weapons, the Prayer Slips. During their search they discovered the source of the fog: the palace of the former ruler of the city, the Emperor. However, the palace guards refused to let them in. The two found a small hole in one of the walls, but were unable to enter. Returning the Prayer Slips to Rao, she told them about a divine weapon called the Fox Rods, which she was looking for. According to Rao, the Fox Rods were held on the Sunken Ship and were being brought to Queen Himiko before the ship sank. The pair agreed to meet her at the ship to find the Fox Rods. The investigation of the ship did not reveal the Fox Rods, but the group found another holy instrument: the Lucky Mallet, a mallet capable of shrinking objects to the size of a bug. However, as they swam back to shore, the Water Dragon struck by trying to eat them. Strangely, at that moment Rao abandoned them, leaping across the water to safety. Amaterasu and Issun managed to escape the Dragon on their own, but as reached the shore, the Lucky Mallet emerged of its own accord and started moving away from them. The pair chased it back to the small hole in The Emperor's palace. Issun then realized the Mallet's intention: fulfilling Waka's hint, the Mallet wanted to shrink Amaterasu in order to get her through the hole and into the palace. Amaterasu was shrunken down to Issun's size, and the two entered the palace. After some exploring, they found a beautiful girl named Kaguya, who had been unfairly imprisoned by the Emperor. The two eventually found the source of the mist: the Emperor himself! Entering the Emperor's stomach, they found the evil demon within the Emperor which had been spreading the disease: Blight. The pair defeated Blight and restored Sei'an City to its former self. They also briefly manipulated the Emperor's body in order to free Kaguya. The two now needed to enter Queen Himiko's palace. Using a new Celestial Brush Technique found in the Emperor's palace, the Veil of Mist, the two entered the palace and were in fact welcomed by the maidservant. However, they were unable to enter the Queen's chambers because of a lava river in their way, which had been intentionally placed to protect the Queen. Returning to the outside, they decided to go and help Kaguya, who had said something about going to Sasa Sanctuary before running off. Arriving there, they helped Kaguya unearth a rocket to the Moon, her original home. Before she left to discover her origins, she gave them the Fire Tablet, a holy instrument that would let them bypass fire or lava. Using the tablet, the two were able to go over the river of lava and enter Queen Himiko's room. Issun believed that the Queen was another evil demon, but when the Queen revealed her face, it turned out she was another 'hot babe' and Issun was smitten again. Himiko revealed that she wanted to help the people, but needed to first find the origin of all the evil plaguing Ryohsima Coast: an island of demons known as Oni Island. however, Oni Island had the magic ability to shift its position every sunset, so Himiko needed to use the holy powers given to her by her family's heirloom, the Crystal ball, to predict where it would appear. The Crystal Ball created a barrier protecting Himiko from all harm, and also had great clairvoyant powers which could be used to find Oni Island. This would take much holy power, so the Queen was almost constantly praying, in order to give it enough power it to fulfill her mission. However, there was another problem the Queen could not directly address: the rampaging Water Dragon. Oni Island was covered with an impenetrable barrier, which would prevent anyone from entering if they could find its location. However, the Water Dragon's great powers could break the barrier, thereby ensuring an invasion of Oni Island. The Water Dragon could not break the barrier in its current state, though, so Amaterasu must find those who were controlling it. Himiko revealed that the Water Dragon was under the control of the Dragonians, a race of people who dwelled in North Ryoshima Coast, near Oni Island. Himiko gave Amaterasu and Issun the Border Key to enter North Ryoshima Coast to contact the Dragonians on her behalf. Amaterasu and Issun eventually reached the underwater Dragon Palace of the Dragonians after learning another Celestial Brush Technique and met their beautiful queen Otohime, but learn that although the Water Dragon is the deity of the Dragonians, it protects them, instead of being under their control. However, Otohime reveals the existence of the Dragon Orb, an object which could allow them to control the dragon. Amaterasu and Issun enter the dragon's body. Inside they find not only the Dragon Orb, but also the Fox Rods Rao was seeking. However, in retrieving the Dragon Orb, the duo inadvertently killed the dragon. It is then revealed that the Water Dragon was actually the King of the Dragonians, King Wada, who had used the Dragon Orb to transform into the Water Dragon to protect the Dragon Palace from the Dark Lord of Ryoshima Coast who dwelled on Oni Island. However, the wounds he received fighting the demons had driven him into madness. At the last moment, he had swallowed the Dark Instrument the Dark Lord wielded: the Fox Rods Amaterasu had found. During his madness the King had consumed many innocents and, wracked with guilt, he consigned himself to the bottom of the ocean and drowned. Amaterasu and Issun returned to the Dragon Palace with the Dragon Orb. As they emerged, Rao inexplicably appeared before them. Taking the Fox Rods, she revealed that she intended to use its dark powers to combat the demons and help Queen Himiko. She then left as quickly as she had appeared. Giving the Dragon Orb to Otohime, they relayed the sad news of Wada's death. Otohime confirmed that Wada had been her husband, who had transformed into the Water Dragon to combat the dark hordes attacking the Dragon Palace. However, as they spoke, the spirit of King Wada sent them one last message from beyond the grave. The message appeared as a vision in the Dragon orb. As the group watched, it showed Rao being chased by a shadowy figure at Ankoku Temple. Amaterasu and Issun raced to the Temple. As they went, Otohime called out to them, reminding them all hope was not lost while telling them to meet her when the location of Oni Island was revealed. Amaterasu arrived at Ankoku Temple. However, there was no sign of the entity which was attacking Rao. Instead Rao herself appeared in front of them. Her appearance differed from the one they were used to, but beckoned them to follow her. They did, and she led them to a secret well behind the temple. As they reached the well, the priestess vanished mysteriously. The well led to a secret passage. In the passage, the heroes found a long-rotted body wearing familiar clothes, but could not remember why it seemed familiar. Continuing onwards, they found the passage led to a room in Himiko's palace. Entering the main area of the palace, they found the maidservant knocked out. Hurrying to the Queen's chambers, they found her dead, with a terrified Rao standing near. Rao claimed that the Dark lord had appeared and slain Himiko. Issun was convinced, but Amaterasu was not fooled. The sun goddess leapt at Rao, but the priestess somehow evaded her attack. The true identity of 'Rao' was then revealed: Ninetails, the Dark Lord of Ryoshima Coast! The vision sent by King Wada had actually been a vision of the real Rao's death. The body they had seen in the passage before had actually belonged to the real Rao, whose spirit had led them to the passage. 'Rao' then transformed into a bizarre hybrid of her human and true forms: Evil Rao. She then swallowed the Crystal Ball, removing the last chance the heroes had of finding Oni Island. Evil Rao then battled Amaterasu to finish off her adversary, but the sun goddess defeated her, making the foul demon spit out the Crystal Ball. Ninetails, empowered by its Fox Rods that had been stolen by the Water Dragon but which Ninetails had taken from Amaterasu, then tried to use its true form to obliterate Amaterasu, but the room was too small to contain it and it instead fled back to the safety of Oni Island. Despite the reemergence of the Crystal Ball, all hope seemed lost with Himiko. However, at that moment, an apparition of the Queen appeared in the Crystal Ball. The Queen had actually known of Rao's duplicity, but had intentionally sacrificed herself to harness the powers of the Dark Lord when Ninetails consumed the Crystal Ball. Himiko used the power she had taken from Ninetails to discover the next place Oni Island would appear. Indeed, the location of the evil isle was revealed, a point adjacent to Watcher's Cape in North Ryoshima Coast, but at a price: Himiko's spirit would pay for harnessing the dark powers and, after the location of Oni Island was revealed, the Crystal Ball shattered. Himiko's spirit ascended to heaven, praying for Amaterasu's success as she went. Amaterasu and Issun hurried to North Ryoshima Coast but, without the Water Dragon, there was no way to pierce Oni Island's barrier. However, as they reached Watcher's Cape, they found Otohime. The Dragonian Queen revealed that Himiko's spirit had appeared in the Dragon Palace too, and led her to this spot. Otohime then revealed that although the previous Water Dragon had died, Otohime could use the Dragon Orb to harness the Dragon's power to become a new Water Dragon. Otohime then prayed to the Dragon Orb. The Water Dragon's power flowed through her and she transformed into the new Water Dragon. Otohime then pierced the barrier over Oni Island, forming a living bridge to the Island. Amaterasu and Issun crossed and entered a mysterious mansion on the island. They also found Thunderstorm, another brush technique, gained from the god Gekigami. At the top of the island they found Ninetails and defeated it, freeing Ryoshima Coast. However, the evil fox's dark spirit joined with Blight's and Orochi's and headed to the northern land of Kamui, Issun's birthplace. Issun had a foreboding thought, as he had said he would part with Amaterasu when she had learned all the Brush Techniques, and only one remained to be learned. Return to the Northern Lands Kamui was inhabited by a race of masked humans named the Oina. Traveling through Kamui, they met some of Issun's old friends. They reached the Oina village of Wep'keer and found that all of Kamui was in the grip of a blizzard caused by the twin demons Lechku & Nechku. The village's chief, Kemu, had been injured by the demons and could not perform the annual Volcanic Incantation, a spell that would melt the ice and rid Kamui of winter by making the twin peaks of the volcano Ezofuji erupt. This was performed every year and meant salvation for all of Kamui. However, Kemu could no longer perform it. Time was running out, too: the Volcanic incantation must be performed before the Day of Darkness, a day where the sun would be blocked out by a solar eclipse. If it was not performed, Kamui would freeze over and become an icy wasteland where no living thing could survive. That was not the only problem, though: the village's sacred sword, Kutone, had been stolen by Oki, the best warrior in the village, who wanted to slay the demons himself. Amaterasu was forced to defeat Oki when he mistook her for a demon. Oki revealed that there was a prophecy concerning the sword: 'The path to the heavens will open when the sacred sword Kutone glows silver.' Oki assumed that, if he killed enough demons, the sword would glow and rid Kamui of all demons. Exploring Wep'keer, Amaterasu and Issun met Issun's Oina friend, Kai. Kai explained to them that although Kemu could not perform the Volcanic Incantation, her sister, Lika, had spiritual powers even greater than Kemu's. However, Lika had been disappeared, presumably at the hands of the two demons. Amaterasu and Issun ventured through the forests of Yoshpet to find Lika. The forest had a strange power, so it was not wise to travel without Kai to guide them. Arriving in a clearing in Yoshpet, they found a strange tree stump. Kai revealed that the stump housed Ponc'tan, Issun's home. The Lucky Mallet then emerged again, to shrink Amaterasu enough to enter the tree stump to find clues about Lika. Issun, however, refused to enter for fear of seeing his grandfather, so Amaterasu entered the village alone. Mute without Issun acting as a proxy, she eventually found Ishaku, her old companion. Ishaku gave no clues as to Lika's whereabouts, but also spoke of a strange gate in the forest, the Spirit Gate, which must not be opened and could only be opened by Ishaku's sword. Amaterasu asked the other Poncles for clues, and eventually found Miya, Issun's old friend, who said Lika had been taken through the Spirit Gate. Armed with this information, Amaterasu returned to issun. Kai could not accompany them to the Spirit Gate, but Issun knew the woods well and guided Amaterasu to the gate. The gate was closed, but Issun used his sword, Denkomaru, to open it. Surprisingly, it worked. At the last moment, Oki rushed in and accompanied them through the gate, intent on defeating the monsters on the other side of the gate as well, to get Kutone to glow. Making Legend a Reality Amaterasu and Issun wound up in the world on the other side of the Spirit Gate and discovered they were in Kamiki Village again; not the normal Kamiki Village, though, but Kamiki Village 100 years ago, in the time of the legend of Nagi. At first Issun thought they were in the present Kamiki Village, as the people were almost exactly the same as their future counterparts, but the pair soon realized that this was actually the village as it was in the past. Since this was in a time when people believed Amaterasu (under the name of Shiranui) to be a familiar of Orochi, they were all hostile towards her. The pair eventually found the legendary Nagi, who attacked them. Accidentally knocking him out, the two were forced to complete the original legend of Nagi (to have Nagi defeat Orochi, who was still alive in the past) the heroes stole the clothes of Orochi's sacrifice, Nami and dressed up Nagi before taking him to the Moon Cave to fight Orochi's past incarnation. However, when they entered the Moon Cave, the pair discovered that Orochi was more powerful: before his defeat by the great Nagi, he had been in the form of the more powerful True Orochi. Worse, since he had been denied Nami as a sacrifice, he had taken Lika, who had gone through the Spirit Gate and ended up as Orochi's captive. To save Lika, Amaterasu fought the beast. However, Oki suddenly rushed in, eager to kill Orochi in order to make Kutone glow. Orochi soundly beat Oki, though, and instead Nagi took his place as the true hero and sealed Orochi away until Susano would unleash it 100 years later. The Moon Cave began to collapse and a large rock fell right at Nagi, but Amaterasu's past self, Shiranui, appeared with a young Ishaku and saved him. Oki, Lika, Issun and Amaterasu all returned to the present through the Spirit Gate. Demise of a God When they returned, their troubles were not over yet, though: it was the Day of Darkness and Lika needed to perform the Volcanic Incantation. The heroes rushed her to the altar in front of Ezofuji, but the blizzard was getting worse and if it was not stopped Lika would not be able to perform the Incantation. Oki, however, had broken suddenly through the gates leading to the twin demons' lair, Wawku Shrine. In order to vanquish the demons and the blizzard, Amaterasu and Issun followed him. Traveling through the shrine, the pair found the last brush god, Itegami and retrieved the Blizzard brush technique. They also quelled the blizzard, saving the people of Kamui. Exploring the shrine, they were led to an altar at the top of the mountain. They then encountered one of the demons, Nechku. However, at that moment, Shiranui appeared, having traveled forward in time to assist Amaterasu. Shiranui's superior powers and use of brush techniques quickly beat Nechku. The second demon, Lechku then appeared. Shiranui and Amaterasu were ready to face it, but Oki rushed in. Despite the great power of the two demons combined, he believed he could beat them. Oki struck, but Nechku used one of its ultimate dark powers: it froze time, preventing Oki, Shiranui, Issun and Amaterasu from moving. The evil demon then moved to stab Oki, but Shiranui stepped in at the last minute to take the blow. The strike hurt Shiranui badly, sending the proud wolf almost over the edge of the mountain. The twin demons, however, were now vulnerable to attack. Amaterasu struggled to pull her previous self from falling off the mountain, but she was not strong enough. Oki was now torn: save Shiranui, or defeat Lechku and Nechku? In the end Oki realized the truth: Kutone was not waiting for the wielder to slay the demons, but for them to awaken their heart and see things properly. Oki saved Shiranui with Amaterasu, but the twin demons flew to another altar on the mountain. Leaving Shiranui in Oki's care, Amaterasu and Issun continued to explore the shrine. at the peak of the altar, the encountered the two demons. Oki also returned, having left Shiranui in the care of the younger Ishaku. Together, Amaterasu and Oki defeated the twin demons and lifted the burden which had been plaguing Kamui. At that moment, Kutone began to glow, fulfilling the legend. The price of victory was great, though, as Shiranui had been gravely injured by Nechku and was slowly but surely dying. However, the wolf still had one more mission to fulfill: to go back in time and defeat Orochi, saving the Nippon of the past at the cost of her own life. A small smile could be seen on the tired old wolf's face as she glanced back at Oki's sword before returning to the past through the Spirit Gate with the young Ishaku. With heavy hearts, the heroes returned to the base of Ezofuji. Return to the Heavens As they arrived, the twin peaks of Ezofuji erupted, as if on cue. Thus was Kamui saved from the evil demons and warmth filled the hearts of the people once more. Oki and Samickle, the chief of Wep'keer, fixed their feud and Oki returned the sacred sword. At that moment, Wep'keer was reborn as a strong community which would never fall again to any demon. As Oki placed the sacred sword in the altar, the ice of the frozen lake in front of Ezofuji cracked and splintered, and the lunar Ark of Yamato that had been trapped in its waters was released. This was the true meaning of the prophecy: the ark WAS the way to the heavens, and it had been released when the glowing sword had been returned. A rainbow bridge formed between the ark and the altar. Amaterasu walked onto the bridge and headed towards the ark, but Issun was reluctant. He had now learned all of the Celestial Brush Techniques (and at least mastered the Bloom technique). The journey they had taken, together, was now at an end. Amaterasu did not want to part and pursued her companion as he walked back to the altar. As Issun tried to repulse her, Waka appeared again. It is then that Waka's true objective is revealed: to find the ark and use it to return to the heavens. He also reveals that Issun cannot board the Ark even if he wants to: only those who have faith in their future and do not flee from it can enter. Issun fled from his destiny as the Celestial Envoy, and is thus prohibited from entering. Issun then tried to enter the ark, but a barrier prevented him from entering. As he landed on the bridge, it begins to dissolve. Amaterasu managed to get to the other side, but Issun fell into the lake's cold waters. Gazing up, he saw Amaterasu and Waka enter the depths of the ark. Returning to shore, Issun knew nothing of what happened to Amaterasu. Inside the ark, she faced all the terrors she had previously slain: the Spider Queen, Crimson Helm, Blight, Ninetails, True Orochi and finally the Dark Lord Yami. Waka's words about embracing destiny still resonated with Issun. It was then that his destiny became clear. With his brush and paper, Issun then distributed drawings of Amaterasu, displaying a skill on par with that of his grandfather, throughout the land. He spread the teachings of the gods throughout the land, revealing Amaterasu's existence as a god to all those she had met on her long journey. Hope soon filled the hearts of the nation, and their prayers went to Amaterasu. In the ark, Amaterasu was pinned down by the Dark Lord. Waka had seemingly perished, and the sun goddess had been robbed of her power by Yami's dark influence. However, the prayers of all those in Nippon reached her. Empowered by their praise, Amaterasu's power was restored to its peak, as she was 100 years ago. With the faith of Nippon at her side, the divine wolf defeated Yami and banished all the demons from Nippon. Waka then appeared, having survived Yami's assault. Together, Waka and Amaterasu returned to the Celestial Plain in the Ark of Yamato. From Kamiki Village, Sakuya and Issun watched the ark vanish into the sky, as Issun continued to spread the word of the gods. Personality Issun is very talkative, as he comments on almost anything Amaterasu encounters. As Amaterasu is mute for the duration of the game, he will often speak for her, which often gets them both into trouble. He is reliable, intelligent and adventurous, except for when he is following a "cute babe". He is also very blunt and rude in his speech, often cutting straight to the point or openly insulting other people. Issun was very immature and irresponsible at the start of the adventure, but towards the end he matures and becomes more serious as he realizes his true destiny. Issun is quite flirtatious and falls in love with practically every single major female character he and Amaterasu encounter (ie: Sakuya, Rao etc.). Upon meeting Queen Himiko, he literally falls off Amaterasu's head with shock. However, he is usually ignored. He also shows strong feelings of anger and vengeance when he finds that Rao was murdered and Ninetails took her place. Issun's behavior towards Amaterasu later on in the game (when he becomes conflicted about parting ways with her) indicates that he has developed a strong sense of friendship with the god. He was at first only tagging along so he may learn the 13 brushes but it eventually developed into a deep friendship with Amaterasu. Appearance Issun is a Poncle, a race of tiny humanoids, meaning that he is the size of an insect. He, like all adult Poncles, has the proportions of a human child, and is dressed in purple, with a green cape and large green helmet with what appear to be antennae on the top, resembling a beetle. He stands about as tall as an insect and glows a bioluminescent green. He also has a sword, Denkomaru, which appears to double as a brush. Due to his diminutive stature, however, most people see Issun as a small glowing insect-like creature, with only his hat showing any detail and because he travels with Amaterasu (who is a wolf), he is commonly mistaken for a flea or other sort of bug. Even Yatsu's inner eye only perceives him as a "paranormal booger". Gallery Issun concept art 1.png Issunconcept.png|Concept art. Issunconcept2.png|Concept art. Trivia *Issun's reactions at the Sasa Sanctuary bath house suggest that he strongly dislikes bathing (this is confirmed if the player examines some seats not too far from the hot spring, where he says, "Baths...I hate baths..."). *As Issun always talks for Amaterasu, many humans often mistake the duo for a warrior riding and commanding his "steed", which is the opposite of their relationship (Amaterasu does and controls everything, Issun only speaks for and comments on their actions). Sometimes, people think it is Amaterasu who is speaking, as they cannot see the tiny Issun. This is especially evident in the speech of the Spider Queen and the villagers in Kamiki Village from 100 years ago. Many other characters do not mention Issun's presence and instead talk directly to Amaterasu, which implies they also think Amaterasu is doing the talking. However, all the major plot characters seem aware of Issun's presence (Sakuya, Susano, Kushi, Princess Fuse, Oki, etc.) *It is unknown what happened to Issun's parents; although he mentions his mother if Amaterasu stays during the Kamiki Festival long enough, they are never seen or mentioned again, even when Amaterasu enters Ponc'tan. It is also said Issun was raised by his grandfather. It is possible they perished in some way while Issun was young. *He has been in Amaterasu's mouth four times in Ōkami, the first time was when they first met and she tried to eat him, only to spit him out as if he tasted bad, the second time was to save him from an attack from the Spider Queen, the third time was punishment for not giving her credit for her part in saving Kushi from the monsters at Hitoshio Spring, and the fourth time when she saved him from being crushed by boulders in the Moon Cave 100 years ago. *Issun can communicate with animals, which allows him to interact with the Eight Canine Warriors when Amaterasu is searching for them. *When Kaguya and Mr. Bamboo are saying their good-byes, Issun begins to cry. This is the only time in the entire series that Issun is seen crying. *Issun is capable of throwing a jug of sake into Orochi's mouth, which is many times his size and weight, hinting that Poncles have great strength in proportion to their size, which also extends to their leg muscles as he can jump high enough to get the attention of larger beings. **In certain scientific research, smaller beings have a lesser body density (mass is similar to several other creatures, but body volume is far smaller); take an ant for an example. They can lift things 10 times their weight, and falling from a tall place doesn't even kill them. Since Poncles are diminutive and humanoid, their capabilities are much more greater compared than other diminutive beings. *So far he has demonstrated Rejuvenation and toward the end of Ōkami, he had learned to use Bloom; whether or not he had learned to use the other techniques by the time he met Chibiterasu in Ōkamiden is unknown. **Despite him having mastered Rejuvenation before the events of Ōkami, he couldn't use it to revive Sakuya's tree in the beginning of Ōkamiden (which required Chibiterasu to learn it himself in order to do so, which would seem to imply that his use of it is not as strong as Chibiterasu). The same would appear to apply with Bloom, as he couldn't use that to fully restore Sakuya. **However, in Masterpiece Set #3 in Ōkamiden, it is shown that Issun is capable of using Inferno, thus having mastered it. *Issun appears as Amaterasu's partner in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds as well as the remake edition, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. As Amaterasu cannot speak, Issun does all her dialogue. *Issun is seen alongside Amaterasu in the 2nd Sonic the Hedgehog and Megaman crossover, Worlds Unite, alongside other famous Capcom and SEGA icons. *Issun is inspired by the folk tale of Issun-bōshi. References Category:Characters in Ōkami Category:Characters in Ōkamiden Category:Partners of Chibiterasu